Primary Care Providers’ Perspectives on Providing Follow-up Cancer Care: A Qualitative Analysis of Survivorship Care Plan Use

Abstract

This study’s main objective was to investigate how primary care providers (PCPs) perceive their new roles in providing follow-up cancer care. Survivorship care plans (SCPs) encompass a summary of the cancer treatment and follow-up care that cancer survivors need to pursue with their PCP. In short, SCPs are meant to enhance the communication and the organization regarding follow-up cancer care, ameliorate the patients’ satisfaction and ensure survivorship care needs are addressed. Thirteen PCPs in the Ottawa region who provide follow-up care to breast and colorectal cancer survivors were recruited across urban and rural settings. Telephone interviews of 15-20 minutes were conducted with PCPs. The interview guide was developed based on the second version of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF-2). Thematic analysis was used to identify themes and subthemes related to PCP’s views on SCPs and their role in providing follow-up cancer care. According to these results, PCPs encounter communication issues that lead to increased workload, PCPs have favourable views of SCPs, PCPs have different attitudes when providing follow-up care or using SCPs, PCPs notice that their patients view SCPs positively, and PCPs recommend constant updates in SCPs. Understanding the perceptions of PCPs regarding their role in providing follow-up cancer care and SCPs’ use will facilitate the implementation of SCPs as transition tools from tertiary back to primary care.